Program addresses stigmas surrounding dementia

Summerland residents living with dementia are being encouraged to go public in an effort to change hearts and minds and tackle the ongoing discrimination they experience in their day-to-day lives.

They can step forward with personal stories in the Alzheimer Society’s nationwide campaign, I live with dementia. Let me help you understand.

The program launched Monday, Jan. 6 as part of Alzheimer’s Awareness Month.

Spurred by alarming research indicating that one in four Canadians would feel ashamed or embarrassed if they had dementia, the campaign gives a voice to Canadians living with dementia who are frustrated by the constant assumptions and misinformation associated with the disease.

“Unless you have experienced it firsthand, it can be difficult to appreciate the damage stigma can do to individuals and families facing dementia,” said Mary Beth Rutherford, support and education coordinator at the Alzheimer Society of B.C.’s South Okanagan and Similkameen resource centre.

“Too often, negative feelings, attitudes and stereotypes surrounding dementia dissuade people from seeking help and discourage others from lending their support. By providing a platform for Canadians to share their stories, we can cultivate empathy and compassion and help break down the stigma so that Canadians living with dementia can live a full life.”

Since the campaign theme was first used in 2018, more than 65 Canadians with dementia, including caregivers, have become spokespeople in the campaign, aimed at taking a stand against the stigma associated with the disease.

The site also features practical information and downloadable materials, including key myths and facts about the disease, as well as social media graphics to help spread the word about the campaign.

Visitors to the site can also connect with the local Alzheimer Society resource centre for help and support.

Through programs and services, advocacy and public education, Alzheimer Societies across the country are there to help Canadians overcome the challenges of living with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia. The society also funds research to improve care and find new treatments and a cure.

More than half a million Canadians are living with dementia today.

Many more are family members who provide direct care or are otherwise affected by dementia. In the next 12 years, nearly a million Canadians will be living with dementia.

“The number of Canadians living with dementia is soaring,” Rutherford said. “So this is an extremely important campaign to pause and think about our attitudes and perceptions and build a more accepting and inclusive society for individuals and families living with dementia in Summerland and everywhere else in the Okanagan and Similkameen.”